St Spyridon News 112 12a 2013

VOLUME XXX No 12 23rd August, 2013

DATES TO REMEMBER

FROM THE HEAD OF COLLEGE AUGUST ISA Finals SS

24th

Musical SS

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MUSICAL “DARING TO DREAM”

th

Musical SS Father’s Day Assembly Infants

30th

SEPTEMBER Fathers Day

1st

Greek Orthodox Athletics Carnival JS

6th

ISA Athletics Carnival

10th

Year 12 Farewell Assembly CIS Athletics

12th

K-12 Doxology

13th

Year 12 Formal Dinner

16th

Term ends for students OPEN Day JS

19th

Staff Development Day

20th

OCTOBER Staff and Students return

8th

HSC Begins Year 4 visit

14th

Yearly Exam Week JS

21st

OHI Day Celebrations Church Years 7-9 P & F Spring Fair

27th

NOVEMBER Years 4 – 6 Camp

6th

Years 3 – 6 Camp

7th – 8th

P & F Movie Night

9th

Performances are as follows: Wednesday, 28th August, 2013 at 7.00 pm Friday, 30th August, 2013 at 7.00pm Tickets are available at Senior School office: Tel: 9311 3340

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APPRECIATING CULTURE AND ARTS EXHIBITION GALLERY

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NEWS

enormous grief is made bearable because it is shared by old and young alike. Without faith, we would not have been able to cope.

UNIFORM SHOP TIMES:

Long life to you all.

8.30 am to 10.00 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm – Wednesday only school term.

Mrs A. Synesios Acting Principal

UNIFORM SHOP – Volunteers needed from Term 4.

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE

Help is needed every Wednesday morning between 8.30 am and 10.00 am.

Please remember to return your Reading Challenge to Mrs Bartlett by Friday 23rd August.

Any late-comers will miss out on their certificate at the end of the year, as the internet site will be closed and no access will be available after this date.

If you are interested in helping please call Helen on 9313-6899.

JUNIOR SCHOOL REPORT

CO CURRICULAR Co curricular will conclude on the 5th September for this year.

Please note dates below: The rest of the dates for Term Three are:

Whilst this term has been particularly challenging for us as a school community, we have risen above it all to put our best into everything we do, be it academic, religious, cultural or sporting.

 Monday 26th August – except Logic Club  Wednesday 28th August

I congratulate the Girls Futsal teams who made the State Finals and their coach, Mrs Diavatiotis, for the amazing results they were able to achieve in such a short time.

 Monday 2nd September  Wednesday 4th September  Thursday 5th September

Well done also to Years 3, 4 & 5, Mr Amditis and the Greek Staff for a moving assembly on The Dormition of the Theotokos.

Please note that any child not collected by 4:30pm will be taken to After School Care and parents will be billed accordingly.

CONGRATULATIONS

To the debating team, Mrs Economou and Miss Galanis I congratulate you for the strong and confident manner in which you have debated resulting in many successes.

We congratulate Mrs Spyridopoulos, our P&F Secretary, her husband Dimitri, Valentina 4C and Sophia 2A on the birth of their son and brother Savah. May Christ bless them with good health and long life.

In our infants, children commencing Kindergarten in 2014 have begun coming in for their interviews. Their enthusiasm can hardly be contained and it has bubbled over. They have been truly delightful, entertaining us with their laughter and comments, taking great pride in sharing their treasured possessions with us. We will welcome them back in Term Four for their orientation mornings.

DEBATING NEWS How far our debaters have come!

This year St Spyridon College Junior School has participated in the impromptu rounds of IPSHA debating for the first time. In these rounds, students are not given the debate topic until one hour before the debate.

Finally, on behalf of my children and I, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for your words of comfort and support at this most difficult time in our lives- the passing of our beloved husband and father Michael. It is at times like this, that you appreciate being part of an Orthodox Community such as St Spyridon College. The

They are given an hour to brainstorm, plan and create persuasive arguments. In this time they are only permitted to use a dictionary (to help them define the topic) and their coach (for guidance).

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This is a daunting task for even the most proficient of debaters and yet our Year 4, 5 & 6 team members have tacked the challenge like professionals. Adjudicators are constantly praising their confident manner when speaking and their well thought out arguments and rebuttals.

Opponents  St Catherine’s  Ascham Topic  That we should spend more time outside.

Impromptu round:  That modern pop music has a negative impact on children.

Mrs N. Economou

ADVICE TO PARENTS NOT EVERYONE CAN WIN AT PASS THE PARCEL!

Outcome  One win, one loss.  Two wins

Researchers tell us that parents who offer positive yet constructive feedback rather than showering their children with undeserved compliments better arm their children in learning to overcome setbacks. Unfortunately undeserved compliments only serve to prevent a child from accurately sizing up their own capabilities. Parents are advised to credit their children with having enough resilience to rebound from short lived events of disappointment. This in turn equips them to cope with the genuine setbacks of life ahead.

Congratulations to all our Junior School debating teams and good luck for all future debates!

Children can pick up on false praise. Early Childhood Australia Chief Executive Samantha Page, warns parents not to exaggerate when they praise their children. For example if you comment on a picture they have drawn is exceptional without pointing out specific attributes, or offer praise without validation the child may soon learn that your praise isn’t relevant or sincere.

Michelle Landy, author of ‘The confidence Workout’ advises if we only give praise, children will fail to recognise when they actually need to put in effort or work harder to achieve real success. When we actually praise and highlight what they are doing genuinely well, they can then repeat that behaviour or action. Psychologist and resilience specialist Dr Andrew Fuller says that empty praise is often used to placate children. He emphasises that parents and teachers need to praise the effort and the work it has taken to achieve a goal.

Recommendations for the right ways to praise:

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0-5 years: Focus on getting into the habit of praising for effort 5-10 years: Praise for specific effort rather than for innate characteristics 10-12 years: Children tend to compare themselves so be aware that praising them for intrinsic things like intelligence can discourage them from making an effort 13 years +: Focus on encouraging teens to express their personality in appropriate ways. *source; Youth communications expert Giorgia Castello Baker., & J. Domjen, B. (2013, February 17). Not smart to praise your kids too much.

Sunday Telegraph, p.11.

Marquan, S. (2013, February 21). Generation of children damned by false praise. The Telegraph, p. 32. www.andrewfuller.com.au/ www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au www.zoominfo.com/p/Giorgia-Castello

Session Eight In this session of Living Positively, the children will reflect on what they learned in Peer Support: to think optimistically, persevere and use positive self-talk. The children will learn about a model - I laugh, I live, I love. This will help them to remember the activities they enjoyed, their strengths and to show appreciation to others.

Please discuss with your child, ways they can live positively.

Mrs M. Kipriotis Infants’ Coordinator

PRIMARY PEER SUPPORT NEWS “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” ― Dolly Parton Below is an overview of the Peer Support sessions that will take place to conclude this year’s theme of OPTIMISM. Session Seven Children will discuss the importance of showing gratitude to others. Children are encouraged to reflect on the positive aspects of their lives, including people. The activities will give them an opportunity to thank someone who has helped them. During the week please encourage your child to appreciate and thank people in their lives.

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YEAR 6 TEACHING AND LEARNING UPDATE Term 3 has been a busy time for Stage 3 students.

Not only have they raised money for Jeans for Genes Day and exercised their leadership skills as Peer Support Leaders, they have also completed a large installation of artworks for the Appreciating Art and Culture Exhibition. Year 6 have designed and constructed 3D figures using air drying clay and are looking forward to painting them.

In addition, the students have had the opportunity to move beyond collaborative computer tasks across Key Learning Areas such as Greek, English and HSIE through the acquisition of 30 notebooks. Students are keen to use the ultrabooks as often as possible as tools to improve their learning. They also provide staff with new opportunities to teach more content quickly and creatively.

In the area of reading comprehension, Year 6 students have been working steadily through the Springboard Into Comprehension Program. This program develops specific skills explicitly such as identifying fact and opinion, main idea and language of comparison and contrast. Students will have more opportunities to work with this program in class and using the ultrabooks for interactive, specific tasks at their individual reading level.

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Ms D. McCarthy Stage 3 Coordinator

ΚΟΙΜΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΥ Στις 14 Αυγούστου οι μαθητές της Τρίτης τάξης επιμελήθηκαν μιας παρουσίασης με θέμα την Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου, που απευθυνόταν στους μαθητές του Δημοτικού σχολείου, στους δασκάλους αλλά και στους γονείς τους. Στα πλαίσια της παρουσίασης αυτής υπογραμμίσθηκε η σπουδαιότητα της Θεομητορικής αυτής εορτής για το Χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα της εκκλησίας, που τιμώντας την τα μάλα επάξια την αντιπαραβάλλει με το ιερό Πάσχα με την επωνυμία <<Πάσχα του καλοκαιριού>>. Στα πλαίσια της εκδήλωσης επίσης εψάλησαν οι ύμοι προς την Υπεραγία Θεοτόκον του Αγίου Νεκταρίου. Στο σημείο αυτό τιμώντας εξαιρετικά την εκλιπούσα αξέχαστη διευθύντριά μας κα. Μαίρη Χαίμερ αφιερώσαμε στην σεβαστή μνήμη της ειδικά τους ύμνους αυτούς, τους οποίους, ούσα εν τη ζωή, ετέρπετο να ακούει να ψάλλονται από τους μαθητές της. Οι μαθητές της Τετάρτης τάξεως έψαλαν το απολυτίον της Κοιμήσεως. Κλείσαμε την παρουσίαση αυτή με ένα πολύ όμορφο τραγούδι με τον τίτλο: << Έχε γεια Παναγιά>> που τραγουδήθηκε από τους μαθητές της Πέμπτης Τάξης. Κυρία Χ. Διαβατιώτη

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Apples For The Teacher

By Mrs N. Economou (15/9/12) Apples for the teacher, Or so the saying goes But can an apple really say What only my heart knows.

Creating this place of learning, Where we stand today, From cobble stones to building blocks, She was never led astray.

Mrs Hamer, from the beginning In the little church she taught, Nurturing, minds, bodies and spirits, Always encouraging free thought.

The children come first, We must teach them well, Whatever they may need.

Please remember, the school creed. ΑΙΕΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝ - forever excelling, A motto for our community, Yet without Mrs Hamer’s guidance, There may have been no unity.

Nothing can keep her down, Not illness, loss or setbacks, Each day she enters these walls, And unknowingly mends all the cracks.

For thirty years, our principal Has shown us all the way, To teach, learn and love each other, And take advantage of every day.

Today an apple for the teacher, Just simply wouldn’t do, Instead we dedicate our courtyard, To a special person and that person is you.

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SENIOR SCHOOL REPORT

GREEK

Αγαπητοί γονείς και φίλοι,

EVENTS TO FAREWELL YEAR 12, 2013

Στην έκδοση αυτή θα σας κρατήσουμε συντροφιά με την εργασία ενός μαθητή της Α΄ τάξης του Λυκείου, που όμως για τα Ελληνικά βρίσκεται στη Β΄Λυκείου. Η εργασία σχετίζεται με το θέμα των ανθρωπίνων σχέσεων και ειδικά της φιλίας, θέματα με τα οποία είμαστε υποχρεωμένοι να εργαστούμε εφόσον συγκαταλέγονται στο ενιαίο αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα.

A number of events have been organized to farewell our Year 12 students:  



COLUMN

Thursday 12th September: Year 7-12 Farewell Assembly Friday 13th September: K-12 Doxology in the presence of His Grace Bishop Iakovos, in St Spyridon Church – parents and family are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Monday 16th September: Year 12 Formal Dinner for Year 12 students, teachers, parents and family.

Καλή ανάγνωση! Κ. Μ. Φαλέτα Ποια είναι η αξία της φιλίας και ποιοι παράγοντες την επηρεάζουν σήμερα; Παρ’ όλο που η φιλία στις μέρες μας διέρχεται μια κρίση, εξακολουθεί να παραμένει ένας αναπόσπαστος θεσμός στην κοινωνική ζωή του ανθρώπου. Λέμε ότι διέρχεται μια κρίση επειδή πολλοί αναρωτιούνται για το πραγματικό νόημα και την αξία της φιλίας όπως και για τους παράγοντες που την επηρεάζουν σήμερα.

Mrs A. Katsogiannis Principal Senior School

2013 MUSICAL DARING TO DREAM It’s showtime! The 2013 musical Daring to Dream explores the aspirations of a waitress, a soccer player and a ballet student who feel trapped in their everyday worlds. But something is holding each of them back and stopping them from achieving their dreams. Can they overcome these barriers and reach their full potential whilst maintaining the support of their family and friends? You’ll just have to come along to find out!

Για να καταλάβουμε την αξία της πρέπει να έχουμε υπόψη μας τα παρακάτω: Με ένα φίλο μοιραζόμαστε τις χαρούμενες αλλά και τις δύσκολες στιγμές της ζωής μας. Τον βοηθάμε και του συμπαραστεκόμαστε όταν έχει στενοχώρειες και προβλήματα, αλλά και αυτός με τη σειρά του θα μας βοηθήσει όταν τον χρειαστούμε. Για παράδειγμα ένας καλός φίλος θα μας υποστηρίξει πνευματικά, ηθικά αλλά και υλικά όταν και όσο μπορεί.

With over 70 students from Years 7 to 11 involved in acting, dancing, singing, instrumental music and behind the scenes, this year’s musical is sure to be a hit!

Οι φίλοι, λοιπόν, είναι τα άτομα που θα μας στηρίξουν στα δύσκολα, όπως προανέφερα αλλά και με τους οποίους θα διασκεδάσουμε στον ελεύθερο χρόνο μας. Σύμφωνα με μια ελληνική παροιμία, «λύπη μοιρασμένη είναι μισή λύπη και χαρά μοιρασμένη είναι διπλή χαρά.» Πραγματικά, στη λύπη κάποτε σφίγγουμε τα δόντια και κάνουμε υπομονή, αλλά τη χαρά μας θέλουμε σίγουρα να την μοιραστούμε με κάποιον δικό μας άνθρωπο, με ένα φίλο! Ο πραγματικός φίλος είναι αυτός που θα έρθει κοντά μας ακόμη κι αν όλος ο υπόλοιπος κόσμος ίσως να απομακρύνεται από μας. Πολλοί λένε τα εξής για τη φιλία: «Τον φίλο σου να τον προσέχεις σαν τον εαυτό σου, γιατί ο φίλος σου είναι ο άλλος σου εαυτός!»

Daring to Dream will be performed in the Sports and Performing Arts Centre (SPACe) on Wednesday 28th August and Friday 30th August at 7pm. Tickets are available at the Senior School office or at the door on the night of each performance.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ms L. Davis Musical Director

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Για να παραμείνει όμως μια φιλία σταθερή πρέπει να υπάρχει ενδιαφέρον και συμπαράσταση και από τις δύο πλευρές. Πρέπει να είμαστε παρόντες όχι μόνο όποτε μας συμφέρει, αλλά όποτε μας έχει ανάγκη ο φίλος μας. Ανάμεσα σε δύο φίλους πρέπει να υπάρχει εμπιστοσύνη, ειλικρίνεια και σεβασμός και όχι εγωισμός, καχυποψία και φθόνος μια κι αυτοί οι παράγοντες επηρεάζουν αρνητικά μια φιλία.

IMPORTANT EVENTS OPEN DAYS As mentioned previously, there are a number of University and Tertiary College Open Days being held in the coming weeks for Year 12 students.

Year 10 and 11 students are also encouraged to attend, as they are a great opportunity to obtain useful information and explore each different campus:

Με άλλα λόγια, η φιλία είναι ο πιο σημαντικός θεσμός στη ζωή του ανθρώπου. Δεν είναι δύσκολο για κάποιον να κάνει φίλους, αντιθέτως είναι πολύ δύσκολο να ζήσει χωρίς φιλία. Ο αρχαίος Έλληνας φιλόσοφος θέλοντας να τονίσει τον ιερό θεσμό και την αξία της φιλίας έλεγε: «Για να ζήσει ο άνθρωπος μόνος ή θηρίο πρέπει να είναι ή θεός».

31st August: Sydney University, UTS, Notre Dame University, Sydney TAFE (Ultimo), University of Wollongong Faculty of Business (Sydney CBD campus), National Art School, Australian National University, University of Canberra, ADFA (Canberra) 1st September: University of Western Sydney 7th September: UNSW, Australian Catholic University (Strathfield and North Sydney) 14th September: Macquarie University

Michael Karanikolas Year 10

CAREERS

COLUMN

On 14th September, ACIC will hold an expo for International Students who wish to apply to University. Register online at www.acic.com.au or call 92863799.

As we proceed into the latter half of Term 3, the students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are keeping very busy. Year 10 have finalised their pattern of study for Year 11 and have been researching different careers and related information from some useful websites such as www.myfuture.edu.au, www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au and www.joboutlook.gov.au. Many have also attended an interview with me, to explore their future options.

LAW COURSES LAW AT ACU: Law will be offered at ACU in North Sydney from 2014.They are holding a special law panel event on 12th September. For further information, contact kate.fenech@acu.edu.au

BOND UNIVERSITY Law Experience Day Tuesday 24 September – limited to 15 places from Sydney Location: Bond University Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland Schedule: Depart Sydney airport on Virgin Australia for the Gold Coast at 7.10am – return to Sydney at 6.35pm that evening Program: Students will spend approximately 6 hours on campus Cost: $90 per person Registration: Places are strictly limited to the first 30 students (15 from Sydney and 15 from Melbourne) so please register early. Registration can be completed online at www.bond.edu.au/bond-law-experience

Year 11 students are preparing for their final Preliminary examinations and are also exploring possible career paths and related tertiary courses available. It has been pleasing to meet a number of Year 11 students who have come in for an interview to discuss their future plans.

Year 12 students have returned after their trial HSC examinations and should now be focusing on achieving their best in the HSC as well as applying for courses at University and TAFE colleges. The process of UAC applications will be explained on Friday when the UAC 2014 guides are distributed.

Students were given a handout reminding them about early offers to university, the Educational Access Scheme and scholarships. Those intending to apply need to check the closing dates for each and to see Mrs Katsogiannis as well as me if they intend to apply.

GAP YEAR VOLUNTEERING For information and applications, see www.latitude.org.au or www.antipodeans.com.au (information night is on 28th August)

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Technology is creating a generation of bad decision makers

HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS “A Day in the Life..” workshops to experience a day in different careers , is available at William Blue College and APM College, in the September holidays. See their websites for more details.

UNSW is holding a ‘Robocomp’ workshop and competition on 30th September , in the school holidays, for those interested in robotics and programming. Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are invited to attend.

Register at: www.network.unsw.edu.au

There is a controversy regarding the issue of technology and whether or not it is creating a generation of bad decision makers. Some people believe technology is creating a generation of bad decision makers but others believe otherwise for a variety of different reasons.

For the people who believe that technology is creating a generation of bad decision makers the evidence is obvious. One of the reasons for this view is that it promotes a terrible, unhealthy lifestyle. When people sit and watch programs using technology, they not only ruin their eyesight, but also can become obese. They would naturally get hungry while using technology and will eat whilst using it without getting any exercise or weight loss. Statistics show that we are heavily relying on technology! When we have no technology in our hands, we forget how to think, process problems and/or process information as we have been so used to having the helping hand of technology at our fingertips. Also, the internet is an unreliable resource. It can easily tell you the wrong information and persuade you to believe that it is the truth.

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING SUMMIT Year 10 female students who are interested in Maths and/or Science are invited to apply to attend this 5-day camp from 13 - 17th January 2014. Details are available from the University of Wollongong website: www.uow.edu.au/future/wiesummit As always, students can make an appointment for an interview with me and parents are welcome to contact me in the careers office by phone or email ghakos@stspyridon.nsw.edu.au if you have any queries related to courses and careers, or wish to make an interview time with me.

On the other hand, there is a large group of people who disagree. For those people technology serves as an important tool for education by providing society with a variety of resources to use. For example: approved government and scientific websites, online encyclopaedias, and E-books, such technology teaches individuals to crosscheck and properly assess information and ideas before presenting the final product. Also, technology in many ways can be used as a source of entertainment with a great deal of movies, books, television programs and shopping available online. Other advantages of technology include allowing people to communicate with ease while at opposite ends of the earth as well as linking the global community through advertising products and ideas.

Ms G. Hakos Careers Adviser

LISTENING STUDENTS

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YEAR FIVE Year 5 students have been extensively delving into the text types of Expositions and Discussions which both fall under the larger umbrella of Persuasive Texts. To write a persuasive piece of text you must incorporate high modality language (that grabs the reader’s attention) and wellstructured and supported arguments.

As a cross curricular assignment, Year 5 had to watch the news, read a newspaper or reputable news website; choose a story that interests them and write a discussion about the pros and cons of the notions extracted from the article. They could choose a traditional discussion structure or a ‘letter to the editor’.

In Conclusion, I disagree that technology creates a generation of bad decision makers. Technology provides you with all the information you need at your fingertips. It also gives you a variety of resources to use such as e-books, encyclopaedias, websites and even movies.

Mrs N. Economou Year 5 English

Katherine Tsingos 5A

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Kevin Rudd should hurry up and call a date as he is just taking too long. It is not a very difficult job to choose a date and prepare your party for election. There was already an election date called by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, so for Kevin Rudd to come and say he doesn’t like that date shows he doesn’t respect his party as he is making much more work for himself and for them. It is just plain ridiculous. If he can’t decide on a date for the election, imaging how long it will take him to decide any other issues. He should focus on his party and work hard in his time left as Prime Minister and set a date to show that is governments can be an efficient one.

The Worst Australian Cricket Team in 125 years?

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter because I disagree with your article The Australian Cricket Team may be the worst team in over 125 years’. They may not playing their best in the current Ashes series, but does that really mean that the whole nation should turn against them?

In this Ashes series, they are losing against England. Australia could play better than that; history shows they are not playing their best.

Michael Clarke is struggling to put some runs on, but he still is considered the best batsman in the world. They still have the ability to play better as a team in future test matches. The Australian Cricket Team is not statistically the worst team in 125 years as they have a good team that is just going through a rough patch. There does, however, need to be more effort from all members of the team from the batsmen to the bowlers and even team management.

On the other hand, I understand that he has just been reinstated as Prime Minister, and may need some time to settle into the job (again). He also has to set some groundwork and re-gain Australia’s confidence (and his party’s). There are people demanding he call an election as soon as possible yet they don’t realise the amount of important work that he has. As prime Minister his workload is huge as well as having to debate better politicians than himself like opposition leader Tony Abbot. Mr Rudd would definitely have to prepare for that debate!

To some extent the current team seems to have just given the Ashes series away to the English (who are leading the Ashes 3-0). Our boys in the ‘baggy green’ need to take responsibility and pick themselves up from this rut so fans can be proud of our Aussie team. The Australian Cricket team are failing when the pressure is on. They have to improve in the quality of cricket they are playing; this is not a backyard game! Admittedly, a 3-0 loss to England is humiliating!

In conclusion, I think that Kevin Rudd should hurry up and call an election so we can finally be rid of him as Prime Minister. This is an ongoing fuss and Mr Rudd is not doing himself any favours, as he knows that the date he calls the election will be his last.

Nicholas Drakoulis 5I

In conclusion, I think that we should give The Australian Team more chances because they are still a great cricket team. We, as a nation, should support our team and hopefully can regain the Ashes when they come back to Australia in the summer.

NATIONAL LITERACY AND NUMERACY WEEK 2013 Last Week, Year National Literacy discovering poetry Pocket’ activity. independently write of their choice.

Regards, James Hristeff 5A

2 Crimson participated in and Numeracy Week by through ‘A Poem In Your Students were able to a creative poem on any topic

Kevin Rudd Could Call Election Soon Once written, students were then able to carry their poem inside their pocket and take it out at any time during the day to read to their fellow classmates.

Some believe Kevin Rudd is taking too long to call an election as his previous counterpart had already selected a date. Others believe the exact opposite that the newly reinstated Prime Minister should take his time, and settle in before jumping to an election.

Some of the many poems that the children chose to write include: haiku, acrostic, diamante, cinquain and blank verse.

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Year 2 Crimson enjoyed learning about different poetic forms and structures as well as being given the opportunity to dive deep into their creative side. The only rule was that they needed to be able to fit in a pocket!

YEAR 11 PASTORAL CARE ANZAC PARADE SOUTH COMMUNITY FORUM During July and August, two community forums were held in relation with Anzac Parade South.

These forums allowed community members to contribute to the planning process for the Anzac Parade South Urban Activation Precinct and we were invited to attend.

Miss K. Galanis Year 2C Class Teacher MY SISTER I have a cheeky sister, She is very funny She follows me everywhere, And pretends she is a bunny

The first forum gave an overview of the urban activation precincts and where they are situated.

In order to accommodate for the expected population increase of 1.3 million people in the next 18 years, 500,000 more housings need to be made. This housing needs to be made while taking factors such as access to public transport corridors, community facilities, connectivity, main streets, public domain and terrain, landscape and views into consideration. The community expressed complaints on the transport services along Anzac Parade as well as its concerns about the building of new apartment blocks in the area.

The issues of natural light and view blockages were brought to the plannersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention and are now being taken into consideration. Housing affordability for local workers and university students, and retention of social housing, was also discussed. Concerns for the ageing population and their need for medical services near-by were also expressed.

My sister likes to play with me, She also likes to eat cake My sister enjoys cooking too, And always likes to bake.

Natalia Constantinidis 2C MY TRICKY DOG My dog is brown, He always dances If he sees a mouse, He tip-toes and prances He eats weird treats, and jumps to get one He does many tricks, And likes to have fun.

The forums also required the participants to take part in various planning activities. These required the use of local knowledge to consider which areas were suitable for inclusion in the urban activation precinct and to identify areas within the precinct with opportunities for more housing. In addition, the participants were asked to try and design an apartment block that met the requirements and took into consideration their want for natural lighting.

Katerina De Pasquale 2C

The forums allowed the community to get involved with the planning of the future of their area. The attendees reflected a range of people in the community with different community groups sending representatives. We enjoyed the experience as we had the opportunity to participate in discussions and represent our group.

We look forward to the last of the forums which will be held next Monday night.

Dylan Kontos and Katerina Arvanitakis Year 11

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COMMUNITY DAY

RELATIONS

YOUTH

On 6th August 2013, Pamela Prineas and Rena Lambos attended the Community Relations Commission Youth Leadership Day held by the Community Relations Commission. This day aims to promote multiculturalism and acceptance for future generations. Both students agreed that the event was a beneficial experience. They attended a media workshop that recognized the bias opinions displayed in todays society based on racial discrimination. This was achieved by differentiating two articles with the same story line but conflicting biased opinions. They then attempted to discover hypothetical resolutions to end bias opinions being published in the media so that everyone is given factual information on events. Significantly, both students made many friends and found that all students that attended the seminar were very welcoming. They most definitely recommend other students of the school to attend this event in future as it was an enjoyable and valuable experience.

Pamela Prineas Year 11

SPORTS

Report from Stephanie On the 12th of August I got ready to head to the airport for the NSW Touch Football Competition in Tamworth. On Monday we went to the touch football fields and had a 2 hour training session.

After that we had lunch at the IBIS hotel which was an opportunity for our team to bond. It was so much fun!

COLUMN

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT CIS TOUCH FOOTBALL Congratulations to Stephanie Augoustis who was selected to play for the NSWCIS Touch Football Championships in Tamworth last week.

Stephanie scored the first try for CIS in the tournament.

Day 1: At 7:30am we had a team photo in our awesome uniforms. The first game we played was against the hardest team in the whole comp and we lost.

The second game we also lost, but I scored the first try of the day for my team. I felt very proud.

The third game we drew 2-2 which was pretty good.

Day 2: At 9:00am we played our first game and won 3-0.

We were excited as it was our first win! The second game we lost to Hunter, but we still held our heads up for the next game. The third game we won 2-1. The fourth game we lost 1-0 and we felt this game was unfair. My coach had to complain because one of the girls on my team had tagged the girl who scored but the referee didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blow the whistle. We won our last game 2-1 which was a great finish to the day.

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Day 3: Today we only had two games to play and then I had to go back to Sydney. The first game we played we lost 2-0, but we played pretty well. The last game of the comp we won 2-1. One of the girls on my team caught the ball with one hand and scored!!

I thought we played very well coming 9th out of the 14 teams there, compared to all the other CIS teams in the past that always finished last.

Everyone was really nice and I also very excited to see the Golden Guitar!

Stephanie Augoustis 6P

U10 & U 12 GIRLS FUTSAL STATE TITLES Our girl’s teams took part in the NSW Schools State Futsal Championships on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th August at Penrith Sports Stadium.

Both teams got knocked out in the quarter finals, however, they both played some fantastic football and made us very proud.

The U10’s won all their games in their pool and were well and truly in the lead from all the pools by goal difference.

The U12’s won most of their games in their pool finishing up 2nd best overall from the 6 pools. We had the least amount of goals scored against us thanks to our brilliant goal keeper Georgia Athanasopoulos. Before playing our last game which would determine whether we would qualify for the quarter finals, we told the girls that it would be down to goal difference. They went out there hungry. Although we were up by 6 goals by half time, they did not stop. The final score 9-2 took us through to the quarterfinals against Ascham primary. It was a very close game. It was 2-2 up until the last few minutes. Although our girls went in their determined to win, Ascham managed to score the winning goal in the last couple of minutes of the game.

The winners of a pool have the advantage and usually would play 3rd or 4th place however, NSW football did things differently this year which was disappointing. For our quarter finals game we played a team who also came 1st in their pool. We would have most likely played this team in the Grand final if things were done properly.

It was a fierce game and the girls fought till the end. Similarly to the U12’s quarter final game, the International Grammar school scored their winning goal just before the whistle. Despite being defeated, we were very happy with our achievements again this year. For half of the team, it was their first year playing Futsal. Their commitment to the early morning training sessions and their determination to better themselves definitely paid off.

I would like to thank Mrs Nina Augoustis who assisted throughout the season, and to all the parents for all their support.

A big thank you to Mr John Knight for all his efforts in coaching the girls this year.

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well. The teams played some very good football and enjoyed strong results to help finish of what has been a very rewarding season. With 5 of the boys football teams qualifying for Semi Final football.

Although there is no finals football for the 14’s Blue team, the boys have throughout the year performed with enthusiasm and determination to do well for each other and for their school. The boys’ commitment to the sporting programme and their positive attitude have made this team one of the leaders amongst all our boys football teams.

Their passion, desire and most importantly enjoyment of sport and more specifically football serve as reminders to all our boys that in striving for success, enjoyment in what you do is an essential component. I commend and congratulate all the boys in this team and their coach Mr Condous for his passion and commitment for this team and for sport in general.

Boys ISA FOOTBALL Semi Finals Semi Final Results U13 boys defeated Blue Mountains Grammar 1-0 U14 boys defeated Blue Mountains Grammar 3-0 U 15 boys defeated Redfield College 1-0 U17 boys were defeated by Redfield College 1-0 Open Boys defeated Central Coast Grammar 2-1

Mrs C. Diavatiotis Sports Convenor

SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT

Saturday, 17th of August was semi-final day for boys football, and with 4 of the 5 teams playing at Heffron Field we had a real chance in getting all our teams into the finals. Although under prepared because of the missed training sessions, the boys performed admirably in all grades in windy conditions.

BOYS ISA FOOTBALL

Round 10 Results: Saturday 10th of September 2013 Open boys defeated St Pauls Grammar 3-0 17’s 1-1 draw to St Pauls Grammar 15’s defeated St Patricks College 3-0 14’s Blue lost to Sydney Boys High 2-0 13’s defeated Blue Mountains Grammar B 7-0

The day began with the Open Boys who played against Central Coast Grammar. Our boys finished the regular season in 1st position and CCGS in 4th. Late in the first half James Andrew was taken down in the penalty box earning the team a penalty and he slotted it beautifully taking

All the St Spyridon boys football teams played at Heffron last week and performed exceptionally

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the team to a 1-0 lead at the break. In the second half CCGS started to assert themselves aided by the wind which was now behind their backs. The boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; defensive line did well to repel their opponents attacks. With the game in the balance and the need for a second goal to help secure the victory James Andrew stepped up scoring the second goal for the team and securing victory.

CCGS was awarded a late free kick which they executed before the final whistle. The final score was 2-1 and our Open Boys were through to an ISA final.

Our U 14 boys were perhaps the most dominant of all the teams on the day. Their determination and passion was evident from the start and within the first 2 minutes the boys got off to a flyer scoring through George Contominas. Our boys had not forgotten the 2-1 loss to Blue Mountains and this was going to be a strong reminder to all the teams that the defending ISA winners of last year were looking to make it two years in a row. The boys went on to win the game comfortably 2-0 and will need to now step up again, against an in-form Oxley College.

Our 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opponents were Redfield College and the clash between 2nd and 3rd was going to be tough. Our boys performed exceptionally well particularly in attack in the first half with Christos Kollias creating opportunities in front of goal before beautifully tucking away a great shot to beat the Redfield Keeper. Our boys had the ascendancy in the second half Redfield made changes to their attack and Jacob Mavrolefterou stepped up to play arguably his best game of the season. Jacob marked the Redfield target player and gave him no room to move. Ultimately this and strong performances from both Elias Hatzon and James Stathis helped to secure the 1-0 victory.

The boys now go on to play Central Coast Grammar in the final - the team that beat them 7-2 in the regular season. The boys will be looking to improve in order to win the game and prove to themselves that their last encounter was not an indicator of what the boys can do on the soccer field.

The U 13 boys were playing against a tough opponent in Blue Mountains Grammar, in their previous two encounters both teams had to settle for 0-0 draws. This being a semi-final, an outcome would be necessary. The boys played perhaps the most determined second half performance of the day and Yianni Lekkas mid-way through the second half volleyed a shot into the back of the net helping to separate the teams for the first time this season. The boys held on thanks to great work from Alexander Gousetis.

The U17 boys played well in their encounter but were not able to consolidate any of their chances.

The boys deserve to be congratulated and credited for their huge effort this year. Many of the boys have not played football for the school since their middle schooling years, this renewed passion and enthusiasm to participate in physical activity and

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represent the school was very encouraging. The boys now need to build on this momentum in their final year of senior school.

Olympics in 2008 and Matt Rowan a NSW Athletics staff member.

ISA BASKETBALL TRAILS Basketball trials will commence on Thursday 29th August during ISA lessons. All students selected will need to sign off on the sports registration form and purchase a basketball uniform in order to play on Saturdays. The commitment includes Saturday games commencing in Term 4 and concluding at the end of Term 1. Dates will be provided to successful students. Good luck to all students trialling.

I extend my congratulations to all the boys. On Wednesday all the boys met as a group to emphasise the need to push ourselves, to extend our expectations, to work for each other and play with pride and passion for our school. The boys did not disappoint, they played with pride and passion with 4 of our 5 teams progressing to the Finals to be played at Oakhill College in Castle Hill Saturday, 24th August, 2013.

ISA WINTER SPORT SEMI FINALS

I would like to thank all the parents for their support and in particular the staff and ex-students who coach our teams on the weekend. Their hard work, effort and time on Saturdays has helped to make season 2013 successful. A big thank you to Mr Zafiropoulos, for his continued support of boys football, his contributions have helped to make our home games more organised and friendly to all our families. On that note I would like to thank all families for their kind support of the BBQ that we run at the ground and in particular a big thank you to Dion Alexander and Adonis Tsoustas for their tireless work at the BBQ. Thank you also to Maria Mio, Stephanie Pizanis and Estelle Krassas for their help and support in serving and supporting our boys.

Last Saturday 17th August we had three Netball teams travel to Penrith Stadium to compete in the ISA Winter Semi Finals.

First match was the Open Girls who finished in 4th place and played against 1st place Oakhill College.

The girls were placed in Division 2 this year which is a highly competitive division compiled with many schools first netball teams. Oakhill had defeated us by many points on the last two rounds played, however, this did not deter the team. The effort of all players during the match was outstanding, their hunger and desire to win was clearly evident which resulted in them being ahead by a narrow margin most the match. At the end whistle, scores were tied and the game went into 10 mins extra time. After a tough 70mins of netball the girls were unfortunately defeated 5649. Perhaps the best performance played by all members of the team. Defence from Rena Lambos, Stephanie Mio and Lena Nesterenko made it very difficult for the opposition shooters to gain advantage. Nansia Koukounaris and Andriane Efstratiou were against very rough defence and their composure and attacking decisions most certainly allowed Cassandra Georgiou, Yianna Criticos and Nicola Demetri to shoot at their best. Mention also to Natalie Michos, Sandra Milisavljevic and Pamela Prineas for their support on the sidelines and contribution during the season.

Good luck to all our boys teams and Girls teams in the semi-finals this week.

ATHLETICS The Athletics season continues with training on Tuesday and Thursday after school from 3:30pm to 5pm with the help of NSW Athletics coaches.

Our Athletics Squad have an Invitational meet on Saturday, 31st August and the ISA Athletics Carnival on the 10th September. Below is the Athletics Squad in a photo with Lisa Corrigan Semi-finalist in the 1500m event at the Beijing

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only 1-0 just last week. The team consists of players from Year 7 through to Year 10 and their opposition were much older and stronger than them. The girls held a 1-0 lead which they let slip in the last minutes of the game taking the game into 10mins extra time. At the conclusion of extra time the score was still tied resulting in St Spyridon winning as we were placed higher on the ladder. The girls now play Barker 2 again a much older team in the Grandfinal this Saturday 24th August at Blacktown International Sportspark at 10.10am please come and show your support as this team also tries to gain back to back premierships.

Junior Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s White which consists of Year 8 students who finished 3rd played 2nd place Chevalier College. Unfortunately they were defeated by Chevalier 36-22. This team had made remarkable improvements this year from finishing last place in season 2012 to qualifying for the Semi Finals in season 2013. When watching them play it was evident that the team has developed essential netball skills throughout the season and much praise must go to their coach Deanne Constantinou. This team possesses tremendous potential and I look forward to watching their growth in the future.

Finally, the Intermediate team consisting of Year 9 and Year 10 students who finished undefeated played 4th placed Central Coast Grammar School.

Congratulations to all the girls and their coach Angelina Flokis as they successfully defeated CCGS 31-20 and have secured a place in the Grand Final this Saturday 24th August at Penrith Stadium at 10am against Chevalier College.

Please come and show your support as the girls try to keep their undefeated season record and also try to make back to back premierships.

We also had the Girls Open Football team compete in the Semi Finals against Oakhill College. The girls finished in second place only losing one game throughout the season. Defeating Oakhill in both their previous matches however

Ms K. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shea (Girls Sport) and Mr F. Kaldis (Boys Sport)

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SPRING FAIR @ JUNIOR SCHOOL SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER

You are invited

to hire a stall Promote your business!

Help build educational resources!

Enhance the learning of our students!

Interact with our rich community!

Have fun!

For details contact P & F members: Angela Kasmas Joanna Coutts Maria Pascalis

0407061940 0419992027 0414244695 21

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